Roosevelt High football embracing underdog role

Riders looking to avenge last year's playoff loss to Rifle

By Sean Star Sports Writer

Posted:
11/16/2012 10:07:30 PM MST

JOHNSTOWN -- Revenge will be on the minds of the Roosevelt High School football players today when the RoughRiders travel across the Divide to play top-ranked Rifle in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A playoffs.

The Bears ended the Riders' season in the first round of the playoffs a year ago, holding on for a 14-7 win at home. Rifle was a favorite as a 4 seed in that matchup, facing a Roosevelt squad that was seeded 13th.

Today, the Riders (7-4) are again the underdog, an 8 seed trying to upset the No. 1 Bears (11-0). It's a role RHS is plenty comfortable with, having been considered a long shot to even make it to the postseason after a 1-4 start.

Josh Semmler
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Steve Stoner
)

"I'm fine with coming in with that surprise factor," senior linebacker/fullback Daniel Kammerzell said. "I know seniors, people that played last year, they're going to be ready to go. It's going to be revenge time."

"I like it," senior linebacker/fullback Josh Semmler added. "We've got to come out and show everybody what we've been doing. We've got to take it to Rifle this time and show them what we've done over the past few weeks."

The Riders will face a bear of a task in trying to slow down a potent Rifle running game led by Ryan Moeller. The senior back has rushed for 2,464 yards and 35 touchdowns this season, gaining a gaudy 11.73 yards a carry.

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Roosevelt coach Noland Eastin knows there are no shortcuts in trying to defend a back like Moeller, but rather keeping him in check will come down to good, old fundamentals.

"He's a good back; he's not a cupcake. This is a big challenge," Eastin said. "There's a reason why he has 35 touchdowns, 2,000-some yards. And he's got a good O-line that flat gets after you. So he hasn't done it all himself. He has a good scheme. Their kids are coached well. They don't make many mistakes."

Daniel Kammerzell
(
Steve Stoner
)

"We're going to have to just tackle well, take good angles, get bodies to him. They've got other players that can hurt you as well, but I mean obviously he's your focal point because of all the stuff he's done."

Rifle isn't the only team that likes to rely on its run game. Roosevelt can also rack up the yards on the ground with its flex triple-option attack, so expect today's contest to be a grind-out battle between two teams that take pride in playing a physical brand of football.

"I'm really excited for this game. I think the whole team is," Semmler said. "We're both really hard-nosed teams, running the ball, run-stop defense. So I think it should be a great game, looking forward to it."

Eastin said he doesn't expect last year's matchup to make that much of a difference once the teams actually strap it up and hit the field. He does, though, expect the game to be close like it was last year based on the way he team is playing, entering the matchup on a six-game win streak.

"I hope we show up the fighting, strapping Jessie's we've been playing. I think we will; I know we will, actually," Eastin said. "I'd bet on our attitudes and the way we fight.

"But they're gong to fight too. One thing about Rifle is we played them last year, and we know they're scrappy, and we know they'll flat get after it. So it's gong to be one of those games where it may hinge on a play here, a play there, a turnover, those kinds of things."